حَيِّ عَلى أَثلاتِ يبرينا

حوراً حِساناً خُرَّداً عينا

Greetings to the beauties of our Yebreen,

Charming, lovely dark-eyed gazelles.

يَرِشنَ بِاللَحظِ نِبالاً لِمَن

يَزورُ يَبرينَ وَيَبرينا

They rain glances on whoever visits Yebreen and us,

Swaying gently whenever the soft evening breeze touches them.

يَهزُزنَ في كُثبِ النَقا كُلَّما

مِسنَ لَنا سُمرَ القَنا لينا

From their dark eyelids they have unveiled

What they had sheathed of the whites in their eyes.

مِنَ الجُفونِ السودِ جَرَّدنَ ما

أَغمَدنَ مِن بيضِ الظُبا فينا

My love for the maidens of Najd is innate,

I have made it my religion in Syria.

لي بِرُبى نَجد هَوىً تالِدٌ

تَخِذتهُ بِالشامِ لي دينا

If Layla were not in Najd, I would not have

Ended up a crazed lover in Jilqah.

لَو لَم تَكُن لَيلى بِنَجدٍ لَما

أَمسَيتُ في جِلَّقَ مَجنونا

Zarood and Jur'aa are dearer to my heart

Than the gates of Jerusalem.

زَرودُ وَالجَرعاءُ أَشهى إِلى

قَلبي مِن أَبوابِ جيرونا

I relax whenever the flash of fever appears,

Heading to a bedouin tent, then to our tent.

أَرتاحُ إِن لاحَ بَريقُ الحِمى

إِلى عُرَيبٍ ثَمَّ نائينا

As if it is the sword - when you unsheathe it,

It is sheathed for a while, then seen again.

كَأَنَّهُ السَّيفُ إِذا شِمتَهُ

يُغمَدُ حيناً وَيُرى حينا

And my tears flow freely whenever

Leaves stir singing for us.

وَتُسلِمُ الأَجفانُ دَمعي مَتى

ما اِندَفَعَت وُرقٌ تغنينا

O my friends stop at a ridge

On the morning of travel, heading out.

يا لأُصَيحابي عَلى حاجِرٍ

غَداةَ سَيرِ الظَعنِ غادينا

As if their walking above sand dunes

In the morning after separation, grieved me.

كَأَنَّما عيسُهُمُ فَوقَ أَج

فاني غَداةَ البَينِ يَمشينا

Is there a suitor calling me with antimony in his glances

In which Harut is imprisoned?

هَل ناشِدٌ لي بِاللِّوا شادِناً

في لَحظِهِ هاروتُ مَسجونا

He has attained such beauty, with which

I have attained much sadness.

حازَ مِنَ الحُسنِ فُنوناً بِها

حُزتُ مِنَ الحُزنِ أَفانينا

His sick eyes in their weakness

Have made the Almighty wretched.

أَجفانُهُ المَرضى عَلى ضَعفِها

أَمسى بِها الجَبّارُ مِسكينا

O an idol in his beauty, the religious man almost

Seemed, in love, crazy.

يا صَنَماً مِن حُسنِهِ كادَ ذو ال

دينِ يُرى في الحُبِّ مَفتونا

But we are in a time, in which the battle with religion is severe,

And defending faith in it protects the faith.

لكنَّنا في زَمَنٍ بَأسُ بَد

رِ الدِّينِ فيهِ عَصَمَ الدِّينا

A staunch lion, from which enemies flee,

Like sheep sensing butchers.

لَيثُ وَغىً تَنفُرُ مِنهُ العِدا

كَالشاءِ أَحسَسنَ السَراحينا

With his sword he scatters whatever was intended,

Compiled from battles and stocked up.

بِسَيفِهِ يَنثُرُ ما كانَ مَن

ظوماً مِن القِرنِ وَمَوضونا

The gallant stabber throws with his strikes

Spears made from dates, crafted and sharp.

الطاعِنُ النَّجلاءِ تَرمي بِتَي

يارٍ مِنَ التامورِ مَسنونا

He looks after a second stab

Behind it, stabbed with a lance.

يَنظُرُ مِن طَعنَتِهِ ثانِياً

وَراءها بِالرُمحِ مَطعونا

Whenever he marched in all his states,

Blessed are his excellent traits.

لَمّا غَدا في كُلِّ حالاتِهِ

مُبارَكَ الطَّلعَةِ مَيمونا

The son of Ayyub strengthened his determination with him,

And does Moses have anyone other than Aaron?

شَدَّ اِبنُ أَيّوبَ بِهِ أَزرَهُ

وَهَل لِموسى غَيرُ هارونا

He marched in his state with a policy

With which Al-Ma'mun is not safe.

فَسارَ في دَولَتِهِ سيرَةً

ما عِندَها المَأمونُ مَأمونا

With him the lighthouse of peace is high,

On the firmest and soundest foundation.

بِهِ مَنارُ السِلمِ عالٍ عَلى

أَثبَت أُسٍّ وَقَوانينا

If the opinions of the wise perished,

His opinion would not be forgotten.

إِن أَفنَت آراءُ أَهلِ النُهى

فَرَأيُهُ لَم يَكُ مَأفونا

The house of justice wears for two days a week,

Embellishments from his justice.

تلبسُ دارُ العَدلِ مِن عَدلِهِ

يَومَينِ في الأُسبوعِ تَزيينا

He did not slip in words or actions

From what was prescribed and legal.

فَلَم يَحِد في القَولِ وَالفِعل عم

ما كانَ مَفروضاً وَمَسنونا

The full moon is perfect with him,

And the secrets of the month are coupled with him.

لَيسَ بِبدرِ الدينِ نَقصٌ وَلا

بِهِ سِرارُ الشَّهرِ مَقرونا

He continues to excel in attaining supremacy

While all other people are praying.

مازالَ في كَسبِ العُلا سابِقاً

وَسائِرُ الناسِ مُصَلّينا

His generosity revived me from my time

When I was despondent and buried.

اِنتاشَني مِن زَمَني جودُهُ

وَكُنتُ مَخمولاً فَمَدفونا

So my time shunned me when it dressed

My state with improvement and fortification.

فَصَدَّ عَنّي زَمَني إِذ كَسى

حالِيَ تَحسيناً وَتَحصينا

I then became powerful and prestigious through him

That’s how it is for one who befriends sultans.

وَصِرتُ ذا عِزٍّ وَجاهٍ بِهِ

كَذاكَ مَن والى السَلاطينا

One who bestows favors and one not bestowed with favors

And favors from him are not scarce.

مَنَّ وَما مَنَّ بِمَعروفِهِ

وَلَيسَ مِنهُ المَنُّ مَنونا

My poems will surely guide to Badr’s virtues,

For which the virgins and allies yearn.

لَتَهدِيَن في فَضلِ بَدرٍ مدا

ئِحي لَهُ الأَبكار وَالعونا

If I were not in his shade, I would be in

Damascus, wronged amongst people.

لَو لَم أَكُن في ظِلِّهِ كُنتُ في

دِمَشقَ دونَ الناسِ مَغبونا

Honoring me has sufficed to show his merits

An indication from him and clarification.

كَفاهُ تَقريبي عَلى فَضلِهِ

دَلالَةً مِنهُ وَتَبيينا

You have dressed Badr al-Din in your beauty, the

Fineries and shops.

كَسَوتَ بَدرَ الدينِ مِن حُسنِكَ ال

دُسوتَ حُسناً والدَّواوينا

You have triumphed, despite the enemies’ noses

In the year five hundred eighty seven.

هُنِّتَ رَغماً لِأُنوفِ العِدا

بِعامِ خَمسٍ وَثَمانينا

And you have lived safely from all

That you fear for ninety three.

وَعِشتَ في أَمنِكَ مِن كُلِّ ما

تَخشاهُ تِسعينَ وَتِسعينا

Until we see the like of you, your sons

The generous, the fine blood horses.

حَتّى نَرى مِثلَكَ أَبناءَكَ ال

أَفاضِلَ الغُرَّ المَيامينا

May God debase your enemies

As He debased the enemies with volcanoes.

حَطَّ عَلى أَعدائِكَ اللَهُ ما

حَطَّ عَلى العِدا بِحِطّينا